


When the Sun Shines Again

by SilverKitsune



Series: Daydream Generation: A Yuu Yuu Hakusho AU [1]
Category: IDOLiSH7 (Video Game)
Genre: Inspired by the newly announced fall Ichiban Kuji costumes, M/M, Yu Yu Hakusho AU - Freeform, tags to be updated as parts get added
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-21
Updated: 2019-09-04
Packaged: 2020-01-23 04:46:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18542560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverKitsune/pseuds/SilverKitsune
Summary: A Yu Yu Hakusho AU, inspired by the new fall Ichiban Kuji. In which Mitsuki gets his plan foiled by a fledgling Spirit Detective and a betrayal from someone he'd never expected. But a deal's a deal, because even after all that's happened, he's not about to give up, not when he's finally gotten a clue to where Iori is.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Yu Yu Hakusho was the very very *very* first fandom I *ever* wrote for, and Kurama/Hiei was one of my very first ships. Naturally, when I saw kitsune-Tenn for this latest Ichiban Kuji, my mind jumped straight to YYH AU. So imagine my surprise when I realized Mitsuki fit the bill to be the Hiei to Tenn's Kurama for this AU as kamaitachi are known for their speed! Naturally, I figured it was time to take the flying leap from "writing almost-not-quite-shippy MitsuTenn" to "writing full-fledged MitsuTenn". I do have a plan for who will take be the Yuusuke and Kuwabara for this AU (and I'm pretty sure most of you can guess too lol).
> 
> And of course, the title is a translation of the 4th ED, Taiyou ga Mata Kagayaku Toki!
> 
> For those of you familiar with YYH's story, this is scene is set right after the Three Treasures arc and just before the Four Saint Beasts arc.

Mitsuki sat in the tree, glamour in place as he stared up at the afternoon sky through the branches. He'd had a simple goal in mind – find the brother he'd lost centuries ago and free him from whatever punishment their (mis)deeds had earned him and then return to the Demon World through all the back channels and hidden passages he'd learned about in the interim. When Tenn had approached him for a joint break in into the Spirit World, he hadn't really thought twice about it – after all, the easiest way to find the location of a soul was to break into the Spirit World recordkeeping archives.

What he hadn't counted on was getting caught by fledgling Spirit Detective of all things on his way out.

And then there was that whole “getting betrayed by someone you thought loved you bit”. That part stung, perhaps more than even the whole “getting your ass kicked by someone you should have handily beaten” bit.

He made a face at the memory – the pain of the injury was nothing; losing fights was nothing new after his early centuries living in the Demon World. It was practically a given with how cutthroat and brutal the Demon World was. Still is, if Mitsuki were honest about it. But he'd thought he'd had something more with Tenn, something that at least should have won out over … whatever deal it was that Spirit Detective had made with Tenn.

But then what did he expect from kitsune and their penchant for deals and trickery?

“Mitsuki, we have an assignment,” a voice came from down below. Mitsuki glared down through the trees, catching sight of pale pink hair fluttering in the breeze. Tenn. Mitsuki looked around, wondering if it was worth it to use his powers in broad daylight in the park with all these humans around just so he could give Tenn that punch he so _richly_ deserved for that betrayal.

The wind brought Tenn's sigh to him, along with, “I know you're still angry about what happened. I-”

Tenn paused, and through the branches, Mitsuki saw the slump in his shoulders, and the wind carried up his feelings of remorse. Mitsuki almost felt bad for him. _Almost_. Maybe if he hadn't had the displeasure of being run through by a Spirit Detective, and then forcibly imprisoned in the Human World as a result, he would have actually felt bad for Tenn.

“I'll make it up to you. Just help me with this assignment, and I'll tell you where Iori is. I found him.”

Mitsuki dropped down from his spot in the tree, and a burst of speed was all it took for him to pin Tenn to the tree by the shoulder. Tenn winced as his back slammed into the tree, his human body not as resilient as the kitsune one he once had, and Mitsuki couldn't help feeling a little satisfied that Tenn was at least feeling even an ounce of the pain he'd suffered during his fight against the Spirit Detective. “Give me one good reason why I should even listen to you right now.”

Tenn didn't blink, and merely made eye contact as he calmly answered, “Because I have information you want. And we're business partners.”

Mitsuki swallowed before releasing Tenn, shoving him aside. “Fine. If that's how you want it to be. _Kujou_.”

A flash of _something_ crossed Tenn's eyes at his adopted human name, but it passed in the blink of an eye. “Come with me. Our fledgling Spirit Detective is on his way to being in well over his head.”

 


	2. A Fresh Start

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At first I thought I was going to (re)write all the major arcs but with the character swaps, but then I realized - I'm actually much more interested in writing the character interactions and the "off-screen" portions, as it were. At some point, I'll actually get around to writing a few action sequences (so it's feels a bit more YYH), but for now, take this piece as part of the afterwards of their little trip through Maze Castle.

Mitsuki staggered into the room, carefully helping Tenn onto the futon laid out on the floor. The final battle at Maze Castle had been a difficult endurance test - even with Riku and Tenn's help, it had taken a considerable amount of youki to hold off Suzaku's army to allow Iori to both defeat the youkai lord and break the whistle that controlled the Makai Insects that had infested the Human World.

And that was _after_ they'd had to get past the front gate and fight the other three Beasts that served as Suzaku's main lieutenants.

Tenn groaned as Mitsuki unbuttoned his jacket to check on the injury – the abdominal cut Tenn had taken fighting Genbu had been shallow, enough to cause pain and restrict movement, but not so deep that it hit any internal organs the way-

Mitsuki shook his head, clearing it to focus on the task at hand. There would be time to sort out the details later.

 _See the injury, feed the injured tissues energy, encourage them to knit and heal like they should_.

It was something he had learned from watching a human adept in channeling reiki to heal injuries centuries ago during his early years hiding in the Human World, a skill that had served him well over the years … even if it hadn't been enough for him to-

Tenn shook him out of his thoughts by grabbing his hand. “You don't have to. I'll manage. I know you have to be exhausted after expending all that energy patching up Iori.”

Mitsuki scowled as he freed his hand. “Stop being dumb and let me heal you. That cut might be shallow enough to avoid hitting your vital organs but we both know that body of yours is still partly human.”

“My, my, Dr. Mitsuki, is this how you treat all your patients?”

“Only when it's a certain dumb kitsune refusing treatment,” he groused, tail lashing on the tatami mats out of sheer irritation.

“Oh so we're back to nicknames again. Does this mean you've forgiven me?” Tenn teased.

“Maybe.” Mitsuki muttered. If anything, he was grateful to Tenn for his interference – Mitsuki had heard reincarnation was a tricky thing, but it never occurred to him that it would change a soul's aura so much it would be nearly unrecognizable. He wasn't sure what he would do if he'd done the unthinkable, and actually sent his own brother through the reincarnation cycle again by his own hand. If anything, _he_ was the one that owed Tenn the apology, not the other way around.

The skin and flesh began knitting itself back together as he focused his youki, and with a gentle whisper of a breeze, the slash disappeared.

Tenn buttoned up his torn school uniform jacket as he sat up. “And your cost for treatment?” he asked, “Somehow I get the feeling the usual isn't an option at the moment.”

Mitsuki looked up. “Tenn, I-"

A knock interrupted Mitsuki before he could say more, and he got up and opened to door to find Iori on the other side. There were a few superficial cuts and scratches on his face that had been bandaged over, and his clothes were riddled with rips and tears, but it was an improvement over how he had been a mere hour ago. Iori had collapsed on the spot once Suzaku defeated, from exhaustion, reiki overuse, and his injuries. And in an instant, Mitsuki's mind took him back – the pool of _his_ blood, the cold stiffness of _his_ body, the blank lifeless stare of _his eyes,_ the panicked _need_ to run as he heard the guards coming in the distance. In the end, Tenn had to be the one to get him to refocus, to remind him that _this time_ , Iori could still be saved, that he wasn't too late.

If Riku had anything to say after overhearing their conversation, he wisely kept it to himself.

“H-how are you feeling?” Mitsuki quietly asked.

“Much better, thanks to you, Mitsuki-san” Iori replied, pausing before adding, “or so Riku tells me.”

“That's, that's good,” Mitsuki replied.

Iori looked away for a moment, before adding, “I also want to apologize for what I said earlier. I jumped to conclusions at the Gate of Betrayal and trusted the word of an enemy over someone who might be an ally.”

* * *

  _The Gate of Betrayal was a well known trial for entry into Maze Castle. A trial meant to test the mettle of would-be invaders, it was several tons of rock wall forced down by a ruthless machine that measured the energy level of its victims, exerting the exact amount of force needed for it to be held up by its victims using maximum energy output. It left intruders with only one choice – betray your companions, or be crushed under its merciless weight._

_And attempting to attack the castle alone was hardly an option when there were four youkai lords to defeat on the other side._

“ _Mitsuki-san, go. You're the fastest out of us here, you can disable the mechanism and free us all!” Iori said. “I can push myself a little to take over your portion for a little while.”_

_Mitsuki looked back at Tenn, who nodded as though to agree with the plan. He flitted off for the lever, even as a small flying eye-like youkai descended and grinned at him with its toothy maw. He reached for the lever, but the eye youkai blocked his hand._

“ _Ah, the Great Kamaitachi Thief Mitsuki. Also known as the Legendary Whirlwind Thief. The Four Saint Beasts would love to have you in their service, you know,” it said. “They're much more powerful than your current compatriots, and that's your style, right? Everyone knows how you famously betrayed your little brother, your own flesh and blood once to get your hands on an artifact of power!”_

_He risked a backwards glance then, and saw the hope get replaced by anger and betrayal in Iori's face._

“ _I thought you could be trusted! Tenn-san even vouched for you!” Iori sounded like he would have continued, but his effort to speak cost him his focus, and the wall inched down just a little. Whatever else Iori had wanted to say was lost as he grunted to push back against the unrelenting mass of stone._

“ _See? Even your allies don't trust you,” the eye said, cackling._

_Mitsuki joined in with a laugh of his own, before he suddenly whipped out his sickle and dispatched the eye youkai with a single strike. Watching the halves of his enemy twitch and fall, he commented, “And I can tell you don't know me well at all.”_

_He pulled down the lever, and heard the collective sighs of relief from the others as the wall lifted. But that look of hurt and betrayal on Iori's face would continue to haunt him for the rest of the mission._

* * *

 Iori impatiently huffed. “You're slow aren't you? I'm saying you've regained my trust. Or at least, some of it.”

“I- Thank you,” Mitsuki replied. He had been determined from the beginning to keep his true reasons for being on the team a secret, and after everything that had been said, he was even more determined to. His exploits as a thief in the Demon World were well documented by the Spirit World, and he was sure it was only a matter of time before Iori got to see his full criminal record and saw the body count and thefts he'd racked up over the centuries.

“Mitsuki,” Tenn innocently suggested, “why don't you ask Iori to help you to find your little brother?”

Fast as lightning, Mitsuki grit his teeth and whipped his head toward Tenn, who merely looked back with a look of pure angelic innocence. Mitsuki's tail lashed in the air as he bit back the urge to scream. _I take it back, he is_ so _not forgiven. Not. Forgiven!_

“You're ... looking for your little brother?” Iori asked, distracted.

Mitsuki turned back to Iori, “Y-yes.” Mentally he added, _and he happens to be_ you _!_

“What that youkai said back at the Gate was partly true. I did lose my little brother and thieving partner about a century ago. I know enough about how the Spirit World works to know he should have been up for reincarnation at least once by now. I know he won't recognize me, but I just want to check up on him and see to it he's living a happier life this time. Maybe leave him with a little something so he knows he's always got someone in his corner even if he doesn't know it. Look after him a little.”

He looked Iori in the eye before continuing, “And if he's a human, I won't reveal myself to him.” _Besides,_ he mentally added, _who would want to find out they were a thief and murderer in their past life or have someone like me for an older brother anyway?_

“Maybe I can help,” Iori offered. “I know Tsumugi has access to the Spirt World archives. Maybe she could get permission to go in there and look into it for you.”

“Really? You'd do that?”

“You saved my life from the way Riku tells it. Asking Tsumugi to help look into your little brother's soul's whereabouts is the least I can do.”

“See Mitsuki? Maybe now you'll find him,” Tenn answered with all the smug satisfaction of the fox that caught the weasel, as it were.

“Thank you,” Mitsuki replied, ear flicking in irritation. _That stupid kitsune. Just what is he up to?_

“I will take my leave now, Mitsuki-san. Get some rest. I talked to Yamato-san and he's agreed to let you stay here in one of his spare rooms in exchange for helping him with odd jobs around the shrine. I look forward to working with you in the future.”

“Ni-Mitsuki,” he said, as Iori started to turn to walk away. “Just call me Mitsuki. I'm not one to stand on ceremony.”

Iori looked at him for a moment, and then smiled. “Mitsuki it is.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know some people were probably expecting me to use Zool for the Four Saint Beasts, but honestly, aside from there being 4 of them on each side, that's about all that matches up. Honestly with how Zool's been written thus far, I feel like it would be a bit of a disservice to use them as what's effectively a minor one-shot villain team. I'd rather have them appear as a tournament opponent or even have them be the Four Demon Kings of the Demon World - in other words, opponents with a stronger presence in the story.
> 
> Also the whole "Rescue Yukina" arc doesn't happen here because Iori is pulling double duty - he's not just Yuusuke, he's also the Yukina to Mitsuki's Hiei. I'm just ... making things Extra Complicated because I have entirely too much fun with Reincarnation Shenanigans. Also, Iori doesn't get picked to be a Spirit Detective because he died protecting a kid like Yuusuke did. He got picked because his soul is basically on probation for all the thieving he did with Mitsuki as a kamaitachi Back In The Day lol.

**Author's Note:**

> In case it wasn't clear - I did give Tenn a modified version of Kurama's backstory for this, so Tenn is a kitsune in a human body the same way Kurama is, just that in his case, it's Kujou (not Shiori) that's the human he's beholden to. Kujou isn't the same as his i7 counterpart here though, since I'm cutting Tenn a bit of a break this time and Kujou's just the single father who's provided Tenn clothing/shelter this whole time, and like any Proper Kitsune, Tenn feels like he owes Kujou for this, and this is why he goes out of his way to protect/help Kujou. Kitsune repaying anyone they feel indebted to is actually a part of traditional kitsune folklore, which you can read about a little more [here](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitsune)on wikipedia!
> 
> If you want to scream at me about MitsuTenn or just about Mitsuki in general, come talk to me on Twitter [@soymilkheaven](https://twitter.com/soymilkheaven)!


End file.
